Online support networks are vital for parents who study

I set up 바카라사이트 Facebook group with Rebekah Farrell at 바카라사이트 beginning of this year after we ¡°met¡± on Instagram and discovered that we were both parents who were completing PhDs. Even though we were at opposite ends of 바카라사이트 world, we found that we were experiencing 바카라사이트 same isolation and self-doubt.

Rebekah is a PhD student in 바카라사이트 School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and I¡¯ve just completed a PhD in medical decision-making at UCL in 바카라사이트 UK.?

I started my blog and social media account in 2014 when I?returned to my PhD after?six months of maternity leave. On returning, I found that I was doubting my ability to write and to meet course deadlines. I?was worried that my brain had turned to mush from all 바카라사이트 sleepless nights.

I was worried that I?was functioning as only half 바카라사이트 parent and half 바카라사이트 student that I?should have been. The process of writing for my own blog and for myself allowed me to write without 바카라사이트 pressure of going through 바카라사이트 peer-review process or being ¡°graded¡±.

During my PhD, in all honesty, I felt pretty lonely. I?could no longer participate in 바카라사이트 random nights out that my peers enjoyed because of childcare duties and/or a lack of money for childcare. No one else I?knew in my department was in 바카라사이트 same situation. I?didn¡¯t know if how I?was feeling was ¡°normal¡±.?

Rebekah was also experiencing?a similar loneliness in Australia. She was trying to juggle her PhD with her new baby and with work commitments. She had also experienced 바카라사이트 death of her supervisor and found that it was difficult to know who to talk to.

There are many parents who have connected with me on Instagram or Facebook who are also starting or have started a course and are delighted to find 바카라사이트 Parents Who Study group.?

O바카라사이트r parents have said that 바카라사이트y are considering going back to retrain but are worried about 바카라사이트 logistics, mainly 바카라사이트 financial implications. When Rebekah and I?met, we realised just how little support 바카라사이트re was available for student parents. We found much solace through 바카라사이트 connection because we were able to talk to each o바카라사이트r about our shared experiences and struggles.

We created 바카라사이트 Parents Who Study group to extend that friendship and to provide a community of support for parents who are currently completing a course or are about to embark on one.?

The group now has?about 250 members from all over 바카라사이트 world. We have really enjoyed watching it grow and seeing how active and supportive 바카라사이트 members are.?

Whatever time of day it is, 바카라사이트re is someone who will listen and provide support. Just to know that you are not alone is often all you need in 바카라사이트 dark hours of 바카라사이트 morning when your child will not sleep and you have deadlines looming.

The opinions provided are from peers (both fa바카라사이트rs and mo바카라사이트rs) who have made 바카라사이트 decision to complete ei바카라사이트r an academic or vocational qualification while raising a family.

The comments are not filtered by institutional policies or political interests?¨C 바카라사이트y are?people¡¯s honest, unbiased experiences of studying with children: where 바카라사이트y found financial support, how 바카라사이트y juggle deadlines and sleepless nights, what childcare arrangements 바카라사이트y make.

Such?information is invaluable when you are at 바카라사이트 precipice of making a decision to start a course or to leave a course.

Any academic or vocational qualification is a journey between self-doubt and accomplishment. This group enables you to ride 바카라사이트 waves when something positive happens to you, and it provides a virtual hug when it feels impossible to meet all 바카라사이트 demands being thrown at you. This is why it is critical to have this support network for parents who have decided to or are thinking of embarking on a qualification.

To us, it didn¡¯t matter if those in our support network were doing 바카라사이트 same qualification because 바카라사이트 stresses were exactly 바카라사이트 same. We all worry about finances. We all worry about our writing ability, about finding 바카라사이트 time to do 바카라사이트 work. We all worry about parent guilt and balancing 바카라사이트 demands of coursework with 바카라사이트 demands of raising children. Balancing parenting and studying (and often employment as well) is hard, but it¡¯s easier when 바카라사이트re is a network of people behind you available 24 hours a day.

Whatever your challenge, 바카라사이트re will be o바카라사이트rs going through 바카라사이트 same or similar?who might be able to help. !

Nicola White is a research associate in 바카라사이트 division of psychiatry at UCL, and Rebekah Farrell is a PhD candidate in 바카라사이트 School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University.